A time to reflect on Inclusion- Comment by CEO Craig Robertson

On Saturday we celebrated the results of inclusion, but I trust we also contemplated the impact of exclusion, and dispossession.

Around 16,000 residents swore allegiance to Australia and took new citizenship. It took over two centuries for the descendants of the 700,000 inhabitants of the land when it was claimed by Captain Cook to be recognised as citizens and their ownership of the land recognised.

We just need a surface understanding of our history to see what difference inclusion and exclusion make.

Australia’s economic miracle has been made off the back of migration. When we were counted in 2016, a total of 6.9 million, or 26.8 per cent of us were born overseas. While the infrastructure squeeze is uncomfortable, the housing demands and spending of migrants, and their taxes, have kept the country away from recession. Their approach to work and endeavour also bring a new dimension to how we go about being a productive nation.

If there’s a higher order for vocational education in Australia it’s how we go about delivering economic and social inclusion. It’s very easy for the policy narrative to roll off the tongue – a job is the best pathway. That may be the case, but for many recent arrivals, even with credible qualifications from another country, we often force them to start at the bottom. And for those presenting with understandable language and cultural barriers, the most welcoming thing we can do is to work harder as a sector to bring them into the mainstream.

The Commonwealth runs the Adult Migrant English Program which offers up to 510 hours of English language tuition. Some analysts claim it is not enough to reach the required level to achieve effective employment outcomes or transition to further training or education[1] so extension schemes have been put in place. Some are expected to move into the Skills for Employment and Education (SEE) program.

The heavy lifting then transfers to mainstream VET. Training Packages prescribe the literacy and numeracy expected to be demonstrated in assessment. At best this is functional literacy, something that is barely adequate for the job.

It’s the height of double standard then to enjoy strong economic performance off the back of migrants, then short-change them in the very areas that will help them thrive. It’s faux inclusion.

The story of exclusion and dispossession is harder to tell, much harder. Not only does the Closing the Gap report pay cursory attention to VET, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policy is bound up in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and my attempts to engage with them on this important policy area have been rebutted. I’ll try again and report back. Inclusion in the economic and social mainstream must be central to overcoming centuries of disadvantage.

In the meantime, the following stories from the Box Hill Institute (which incorporates the Centre for Adult Education) demonstrate the power of English language training as a pathway to economic and social inclusion.

Ms B
… is a young Colombian woman who came to Australia on a family bridging visa in February 2018. While she had been a high school student in Colombia Ms B felt uncomfortable in her Certificate II in EAL (ACCESS) because her classmates were much older. Ms B took up the counsellor’s suggestion to move to the city-based youth program, which began in the second semester of 2018. Ms B was happier, more confident and made some very close friends. In November she joined a taster program between AMEP and the Centre for Health and Community Services at Box Hill. A classmate and her enjoyed the program so much they have both enrolled in the Certificate III in Allied Health Assistance which commences next month.

Mr N
… is a young Burmese man who began his AMEP studies at the Elgar Campus in September 2017 and completed in June 2018. While he enjoyed the Certificate II in Spoken and Written English he really wanted a job so he could make money. At the urging of his teacher he attended the information session at Box Hill Elgar Campus and with the guidance of staff from the Refrigeration department he is now studying in Certificate II in Electro Technology Studies (Refrigeration Pre- Apprenticeship).

Ms J
… is a young Korean woman who studied Certificate III in Spoken and Written English in the second half of 2017. On her orientation tour of the Campus (Elgar) she walked passed a patisserie class in‑session and decided on the spot that was the industry for her. Ms J enrolled in the Certificate III in Patisserie in Semester 1, 2018 and is enjoying herself immensely. AMEP teachers enjoy the treats she bakes for them.

Mr A
… is a young Burmese man who began his AMEP studies in August 2017 at the Lilydale campus and finished at the end of that year. He returned in February 2018 as a SEE student. In that time he has learned more about the skills and qualifications to get a job in Australia. Knowing that he wanted to work with his hands his SEE teacher helped him enrol in a Certificate II in Automotive Servicing Technology. Mr A plans one day have his own garage. Mr A is the ‘face of AMEP’ at the Lilydale campus.